Trial of Greek far-right Golden Dawn party set for April 20

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The leaders of Greece's Nazi-inspired Golden Dawn party will go on trial for allegedly running a criminal organization on April 20 — the birthday of Adolf Hitler.

The trial will be held in a special courtroom inside a maximum-security Athens prison. The 70 defendants include all 18 lawmakers Golden Dawn elected in 2012, who face sentences of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Authorities cracked down on the extreme right-wing party — which has neo-Nazi origins and still plays Nazi Germany's anthem at its public gatherings — after the 2013 murder of a rap singer, allegedly by a party volunteer. The party, Greece's third-largest, has been repeatedly linked with attacks on foreigners.

Monday's choice of Hitler's birthday for the opening date was apparently unintentional.